The Office of Research Integrity (ORI) has named Brian Mozer, PhD, to serve as the Acting Director of the Division of Investigative Oversight (DIO) on a 120-day detail appointment. Dr. Mozer joined ORI in 2012 as a contractor, becoming a federal employee in 2014. He replaces Ranjini Ambalavanar, PhD, who successfully completed her 120-day detail appointment.

It is important to foster integrity in the research community. Knowledge that emerges from research is collective and rooted in core values of integrity such as accountability, honesty, fairness, objectivity and openness. Everyone involved in research should exemplify these values throughout the research process, so researchers must understand the dynamics that support or pervert practices that typify integrity in research.

The Office of Research Integrity (ORI) has named Dr. Ranjini Ambalavanar to serve as the Acting Director of the Division of Investigative Oversight (DIO) on a 120-day detail appointment. Since joining ORI in 2009, Dr. Ambalavanar has handled more than 100 allegations of research misconduct. She replaces Dr. Ann Hohmann, who successfully completed her 120-day detail appointment.

The Office of Research Integrity (ORI) works closely with Research Integrity Officers (RIOs) at institutions handling allegations of research misconduct involving biomedical or behavioral research or research training supported by the Public Health Service (PHS). Likewise, ORI provides training and educational materials for institutional Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Coordinators who play a role in assuring that their research institution fosters a research environment that promotes the responsible conduct of research and discourages misconduct.

ORI’s extramural program, “Research on Research Integrity” (RRI), funds empirical research that examines societal, organizational, group, and individual factors that affect research integrity. The program also funds conferences that stimulate multi-disciplinary approaches to promoting research integrity and leads to evidence-based research on research integrity.

The Office of Research Integrity, The George Washington University (GWU), and Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research are pleased to co-sponsor the 2017 Quest for Research Excellence Conference.

The ORI Division of Education and Integrity (DEI) has released a new series of video case studies to address integrity issues faced by those involved in the research endeavor.

The videos follow the story of Dr. Jeff Thompson and his budding research lab. Amit, a postdoctoral fellow, and Ashley, a graduate student, are navigating challenges inherent to working in a competitive research environment.

The ORI Division of Education and Integrity (DEI) has released 12 new infographics on topics related to the responsible conduct of research (RCR) and the handling of research misconduct.

These infographics are designed to help young as well as experienced researchers to identify with their role in detecting and preventing research misconduct and promoting a culture of research integrity. They offer specific tips around delicate issues, such as knowing when, and how, to report questionable activity.

ORI awarded ten grant applications through Research on Research Integrity program. Five Conference grants and three new Phase I Research grants were awarded. Two successful Phase I Research projects from fiscal year 2015 were approved for Phase II funding.

Research Grants: The purpose of the Phase I research grants is to foster innovative approaches to empirical research on societal, organizational, group, and individual factors that affect, both positively and negatively, integrity in research. These grants are awarded in two phases:

Responsible conduct of research stems from more than one individual’s behavior - it is a learned and shared culture of promoting integrity. One of the first places new scientists are exposed to this culture is in graduate school, where they start to learn the practices and norms of their chosen field. Those who train students and post-docs have a significant influence on trainees’ perceptions of good research practices.

Promoting the Responsible Conduct of Research for College and University Leaders

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Date: Thursday, April 14, 2016 to Friday, April 15, 2016

This inaugural meeting will bring together representatives from NIH, NSF, OLAW, OHRP and ORI with senior institutional officials and Research Integrity Officers to engage in discussion and develop consensus around promoting research integrity at the highest institutional level.

Reimbursable Detail Opportunity – Health Science Administrator, HHS/Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), Office of the Research Integrity, (ORI) – NTE 120 days. The position is located in Rockville, Maryland.

Commissioned Corps O-6 or GS-0601-14. This is NOT a career-ladder opportunity.

INTRODUCTION

The ORI is seeking an individual to serve as a Health Science Administrator.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and 15 other Federal departments and agencies have announced proposed changes to The Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects, also known as the “Common Rule.” The changes in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) will modernize and strengthen the policy to enhance protections for research subjects.

ORI is pleased to have awarded two research grants and five conference grants through our Research on Research Integrity program.

Research Grants: The purpose of the Phase I research grants is to foster innovative approaches to empirical research on societal, organizational, group, and individual factors that affect, both positively and negatively, integrity in research. These grants are awarded in two phases:

We are delighted to assist with the promotion of a one-day educational workshop on human research protections jointly organized by the HHS Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) and the Office of Extramural Research (OER) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) entitled

In an effort to expand research integrity internationally, the U.S. Office of Research Integrity (ORI) is coordinating the “Research Integrity in Asia and the Pacific Rim Conference,” which will take place in Fall 2015.

Research Integrity Officer Boot CampsWashington, D.C., co-sponsored by the University of VirginiaMarch 29 – April 1, 2015New York City, co-sponsored by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiApril 12 – 15, 2015

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the University of Pittsburgh are holding a conference for institutional officials to train them to implement research ethics training.

The Annual Report on Possible Research Misconduct (ARPRM, Form PHS-6349) was updated on December 31, 2013. The new form now requires institutions that receive PHS funding to include the contact information for the Research Integrity Officer (RIO) and the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Coordinator.

The Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for research on research integrity grants was published on December 2, 2013. ORI intends to support up to four awards with a maximum budget of $150,000 per year. Second-year funding may be available depending on successful completion of the first year and available funds in FY 2014.

ORI will soon release a series of RCR case studies edited by Dr. James Dubois of St. Louis Univerity. The creation of the case studies was funded through ORI's RCR Resource Development program and involved a team of nearly 20 writers, contributors, and reviewers. These well-crafted case studies, along with role playing scenarios, will be available for instructors to incorporate into their institutions' RCR training programs.

"The Lab: Avoiding Research Misconduct" is now available with Spanish subtitles. This version greatly increases the reach of The Lab to Spanish-speaking researchers and research administrators nationally and internationally. Spanish is among the top three languages spoken in the world. This translation allows "The Lab" to be accessible to thousands of Spanish-speaking researchers and students who may one day come to the US to further their training.

Dr. James DuBois, St. Louis University, was awarded a contract from the ORI RCR Resource Development Program to create an RCR casebook with case studies and role playing activities. ORI will be releasing the finished casebook shortly via the ORI website.

Below is case study from the Authorship and Publications chapter of the book.

Space is filling up fast so don't forget to register for the "ORI at 20: Reassessing Research Integrity" conference. This year's meeting will provide rich content on handling allegations of research misconduct and fostering an environment for responsible research. Attendees will leave the conference with the skills and knowledge to better perform their roles as part of research community.

The constant attention to retractions brought forward by RetractionWatch.com along with a steady flow of news regarding research fraud has brought the topic of retractions to the mainstream amongst scientists. Seemingly, more researchers are reading published articles with higher scrutiny not only as learners, but as reviewers.

The Office of Research Integrity (ORI) was formed in 1992 with the merger of the NIH Office of Scientific Integrity (OSI) and the Office of Scientific Integrity Review (OSIR) within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, HHS. Twenty years later, ORI has evolved into an office that goes beyond investigating allegations of research misconduct--ORI has become a partner with the research community to help improve the quality of research and improve the public trust in research.

When the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) and the European Science Foundation (ESF) held the First World Conference on Research Integrity in 2007, we had no idea what would become of it. Held in Lisbon, the meeting attracted hundreds of participants from nearly 50 countries.

In February 2011, the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) launched “The Lab,” an interactive training video on the handling and prevention of research misconduct in laboratories. Each week, hundreds of learners watch The Lab, which is available for free on the ORI website. With the success of this program, ORI has joined forces with the Office of Human Research Protections (OHRP) to pursue the development of a second training product. This time, the focus is on clinical research and social science research.

The topic of plagiarism seems to have gained popularity in the recent past. More and more companies are offering online plagiarism detection services, and several universities are adopting these services to catch academic dishonesty.

The RePAIR Program provides a formal method for rehabilitating researchers who have engaged in research misconduct or questionable research practices. This novel concept has raised an important questions. Why should researchers who engage in wrongdoing be allowed to be remediated? Do they deserve a second chance? Is it fair to other researchers that diligently seek funding?

The Office of Research Integrity (ORI) and Johns Hopkins Medicine are co-sponsoring a conference which will be held in Baltimore, MD on April 3-5, 2013. Entitled "Reassessing Research Integrity," the meeting will take a look at the past, present, and future of research integrity. Participants will be challenged to examine and evaluate the effectiveness of responsible conduct of research (RCR) training and explore what the future holds for RCR.

RePAIR (Restoring Professionalism and Integrity in Research) is a new program that “provides intensive professional development education for investigators who have engaged in wrongdoing or unprofessional behavior, including persistent non-compliance,” according to its leaders. RePAIR was developed with NIH funding by a team of clinical, organizational, and developmental psychologists with input from remediation trainers, ethicists, lawyers, investigators and research administrators.

The question of what researchers can learn from violations of integrity lies at the center of MindOpen’s summer issue (http://www.mindopen.nl/pdf/mindopen_number_9_summer_2012.pdf). The digizine swirls around a case of large-scale fraud committed by social scientist Diederik Stapel who was outed for fabricating data and suspended from Tilburg University last fall.

Dr. John Galland retired last week as the Director of Division of Education and Integrity (DEI). Dr. Galland joined ORI in March 2009, bringing a unique approach to research education. During his tenure at ORI, he was involved with several activities to promote the Responsible Conduct of Research and prevent research misconduct. Before joining ORI, he directed the U.C. Davis Laboratory Management Institute which incorporated an innovative method for training scientists on administering a successful lab environment. ORI wishes Dr. Galland well on his future endeavors.

No clear consensus emerged from the gathering of 250 science journalists and publishing officials at the Royal Society in London. In fact, the panel discussion and internet chatter probably raised more questions than they answered:

Social scientist Leon Festinger did some fascinating studies in the 1950s on “cognitive dissonance.” He used the term to describe the uncomfortable tension people feel when they find their actions are inconsistent with their beliefs. Rather than change their behavior to fit their beliefs, they will change what they believe to be true to alleviate the tension.

ORI expanded its social media presence when it joined Twitter.com one year ago on July 6, 2011. In the past year, we've used Twitter to inform the research community about conferences, research misconduct findings, education resources for research, and other research-oriented news. We don't just use Twitter to post news--We use Twitter to engage in two-way communication with the community. If you're not already doing so, we encourage you to join the other 350+ ORI followers who benefit from our social media campaign.

Yesterday, a group comprising of government departments, research funders, and other stakeholders in the UK released a document that states their support to promote research integrity. The "Concordat" outlines responsibilities and expectations for researchers, research employers, and funders in regards to promoting rigorous research and the handling of research misconduct.

Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training has been around in some format (9 core areas and now 10 or more) for over a decade. After several years, many have wondered if RCR training has done what it was intended to do: prevent research misconduct and promote integrity. In the July 2012 issue of Academic Medicine (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22622208), Dr. Donald Kornfeld’s assessment is that the surveys done to date have not demonstrated that training has changed behavior.

No matter how different the words are that you're using, when you are paraphrasing other people's works, it's always a good idea to provide the source of your information. Miguel Roig, from St. John's University, lays out 24 guidelines for preventing plagiarism. Number 5 on the list stresses the importance of citing paraphrased materials.

Providing proper citation may seem to be an easy chore compared to bench science, yet, this simple practice can be a source of problems if done incorrectly. Miguel Roig, from St. John's University, lays out 24 guidelines for preventing plagiarism. Number 14 on the list stresses the importance of proper citation.

A researcher, speaking at a conference, presents two sets of results based on two related datasets. He references a paper that he published recently, describing in great detail the first set of results based on the first dataset. This paper mentions the second dataset but does not discuss the results based on it. A colleague attending the conference asks for a copy of both datasets.

Your government-funded research at a university lab has produced results, published in a peer-reviewed journal, that have great potential for commercial application. A for-profit corporation requests a copy of your data, saying that they want this for use in their own research, and they have no intention of commercializing your results. You strongly believe that the potential for commercial application is compelling and unavoidable. How should you proceed?

Romantic relationships have developed among doctoral candidates working in a large university laboratory on several occasions. Invariably these relationships have led to bad feelings, either among those involved or among their colleagues in the lab, and productivity has suffered as a result. The director seeks to establish a policy that would sustain morale in such cases, preferably by requiring that at least one party to any such relationship must leave the lab. Is this appropriate? How should the director proceed?

“What areas do you think research integrity hasn't explored enough?” This question prompted different answers during the Quest for Research Excellence 2012 Conference being held in Georgetown, March 15-16. Here are some areas in research integrity that a few people attending the conference and giving presentations would like to see further explored:

“It is an extraordinary privilege to be a scientist,” says Dr. Marlene Belfort in her keynote address at the Quest for Research Excellence 2012 Conference being held in Georgetown, March 15-16. There have been a number of points raised in discussions, presentations, and posters ranging from the role institutions play in promoting research integrity to the role the media play in publicizing what has been done in research. The following are a few research challenges raised in talks and discussions.

The Mini RIO Boot Camp at the Quest for Research Excellence Conference, which required pre-registration, is full! Those interested in knowing when the next full-scale RIO boot camp will be scheduled, should email their contact information to AskORI@hhs.gov

Marlene Belfort is a Distinguished Professor at SUNY Albany. She will be speaking about Work-Life balance for researchers at the ORI Quest for Research Excellence 2012 Conference. She will present "Work-Life Balance, Domestic Equilibrium and Research Excellence" on Thursday, March 15th at 8am.

The "Quest for Research Excellence" 2012 conference will take place March 15-16, 2012, and will be at Georgetown University's Leavey Conference Center and Hotel, 3800 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington DC 20057.

Plagiarism is an issue that has plagued mankind for centuries. Along with falsification and fabrication of data, the act of plagiarism constitutes research misconduct as defined by ORI. Although it's one of the three misconduct behaviors, it has historicially made up a small percentage of research misconduct findings by ORI, until recently.

ORI started the new year by launching the new website to better serve the research community. The new site replaces the old ORI site which was originally designed over 10 years ago. The completely revamped site is Section 508 compliant , user-friendly, and allows visitor to get to almost all content within one or two clicks. The new website is built on Drupal, the same open-source Content Management System (CMS) used by WhiteHouse.gov and many other popular sites.

We are pleased to announce that Dr. David E. Wright will be joining ORI in January as the new Director.

From 1993-2004, Dr. Wright served as Michigan State University’s (MSU) Assistant Vice President for Research Ethics and Standards, as well as its Intellectual Integrity Officer, overseeing most of MSU’s research regulatory compliance activity. He has also chaired the University’s Committee on Research Involving Human Subjects for 11 years.